Federal (Title V) Operating Permits Program

So, an NSR permit is required for new and modified facilities. Title V is an air permitting program generally specific to major sources.The term "major source" refers to the entire site. The determination of whether a site is a major source is done by calculating and summing emissions from all stationary sources at the site. The term "stationary source" includes facilities. Fugitive emissions are not included in the determination of whether a site is a major source unless the site is a named source. We will talk more about named sources later in this module in relation to Prevention of Significant Deterioration NSR permitting.

Any site that emits, or has the potential to emit, any of the following is a major source and must, therefore, obtain a Title V operating permit:

Ten tons per year or more of any single hazardous air pollutant (HAP) or 25 tons per year or more of any combination of HAPs; or

100 tons per year or more of any regulated air pollutant. If the site is located in a serious, severe, or extreme nonattainment area, the thresholds would be less than 100 tons per year of the appropriate criteria pollutant or precursor.

In addition, there are some types of sources which, by rule, are required to get a Title V permit, even if their emissions are below the above thresholds. Some examples are air curtain incinerators, municipal solid waste landfills, hazardous waste combustors, and secondary lead smelters.